Goth band surf curse is a unique and interesting combination of two genres. The goth band surf curse fuses elements of gothic music with surf rock, creating a distinctive sound that is both dark and energetic. Goth music is characterized by its melancholic and introspective lyrics, along with its heavy use of dark and brooding instrumentals. This genre often explores themes of death, sadness, and despair, creating a haunting and atmospheric sound. Surf rock, on the other hand, is known for its use of reverb-drenched guitars, twangy melodies, and upbeat rhythms. It is associated with sunny beaches and carefree vibes.
I just lack the ego of Elanina for it to develop into this weird sense of detached superiority though. While the recent two episodes threw some water on the fire that was my original take on Elaina as this apathetic documentarian, the events of those episodes really do show that she seems uncomfortable with displays of emotion. Wanting to leave the mage school before Fran can see her off, and her constant dismissal of Saya, along with her girl crush.
Here s a break down of each quarter and what it consists of Quarter 1 is January - March Quarter 2 is April - June Quarter 3 is July - September Quarter 4 is October - December. The problem some people seem to be having with her is that she herself hardly seems invested in the events happening around her as she continues this journey that she seems oh so dedicated to continuing.
It is associated with sunny beaches and carefree vibes. By combining these two genres, goth band surf curse creates a fascinating clash of styles. The dark and moody elements of gothic music blend with the upbeat and summery sound of surf rock, resulting in a unique and captivating musical experience.
Wandering Witch and Elaina’s Wandering Morality
The genesis for this post came to me after reading a tweet thread started by Scott of Mechanical Anime Reviews. He, and a few others were having a little debate about talking about Elaina: the titular character in Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina.
I was initially going to post my little piece on the matter, which turned out to be too long for a single tweet. Work ended up getting in the way of those plans. But my mind still lingered on the point and after watching a few more episodes of the series I felt the need to delve into her a character rather than letting this post fall into obscurity in my draft folder.
The talking point in question is the characterisation of the main character herself. Elania’s agency in the story and her very morality in how she reacts to the events she encounters. Many of which seem like life and death situations for those involved.
During my 3 Episode Rule post about the series, I summarised my feeling on those early episodes by stating that I’d like it to continue down the dark tonal path that it had begun venturing into during the third episode, which was much grimmer compared to the first two. Having caught up top the 6th episode now, I can say that the show seems to really take its anthology format to heart and really shifts in its approach from episode to episode.
The fourth episode continues in the same tone as the third, delivering on the darker more cautionary tale style of storytelling. It shows Elaina arriving in a destroyed city and eventually discovering its sole occupant had been the one ultimately responsible for the rampant death and destruction, having gone mad with grief.
To bring it back to why I started writing this, the tweet from Scott talked about how he wished Elaina had someone to talk to on her journey, mainly because we lose her perspective on the events. As the titular character of the series, we really should care about Elania’s thoughts on the event that take place around her.
The problem some people seem to be having with her is that she herself hardly seems invested in the events happening around her as she continues this journey that she seems oh so dedicated to continuing. Within the third and fourth episodes of this series, Elaina is kind of a hollow character. Mostly observing these events take place and then leaving without making any moral judgement or even really summarising the events by giving the story a final lesson we could learn.
In a way, I actually appreciate the anime for taking this approach. There are no shortage of anime in which characters rock into a new place, see something they don’t agree with and then impose their will and moral stance upon the situation, thus becoming the hero and then moving on to hero somewhere else.
What we usually find is that in these kinds of stories is that the hero is usually correct in their meddling. Anything they end up doing is invariably the correct course of action by the standards of the show itself. What these kinds of stories rarely touch upon is the fact that one man’s revolutionary is another man’s terrorist, that one person’s savour is another person’s sower of chaos.
I appreciate that Wandering Witch takes a cooler, more detached approach to these Grimm style tales and allows them to play out exactly as they’re meant to play out, with Elaina having very little input on how things end up, certainly in the 3rd and 4th episode she doesn’t do anything that alters events from turning out any way than they would have otherwise. Even though she’s partially responsible for some of the outcomes she witnesses.
But to Scott’s point, this makes Elania unappealing as a character. She’s too detached and unemotional about the pretty tragic events that she seems to be consistently stumbling upon of late. Given, the most recent episodes (6) have had her actually taking a moral stance on an issue and directly altering events within the place she’s visiting. But that only seems to happen when she is asked to do so.
And even then she doesn’t always seem willing to help at all. More often than not people ask her for help and she just tells them no, with a “there’s nothing in it for me” attitude. Y’know, honestly I am on board with this attitude from her on a personal level. But at the same time, it’s something I’m super unfamiliar with seeing in an anime like this.
Elania is almost directly responsible for getting a guard killed in this garden, she doesn’t seem to care nor make any attempt to rectify the situation.
Up until this 6th episode, I’d have said that Eliana takes an almost documentarian approach to her journey, observing and recording events with a strangely detached attitude. The problem is, she doesn’t seem to be making the active decision to not pry in other people’s lives and then feel about all these injustices in the world. At times she seems genuinely disinterested in the hardships of the people she encounters. She doesn’t seem invested, so it makes it difficult for the audience to feel invested by proxy.
It’s like in the fourth episode, where she stumbles into a dead city, sees the monster that destroyed it and meets the woman who seems willing to die in an attempt to stop it. The woman, who feeds her and provides her with shelter asks if Elaina will help her gets a “Nope, there’s nothing in it for me” before jumping in a bed and squealing in delight about how comfortable it is, while a woman might be sitting in the next room preparing for her own death. (She’s not, she’s baking. But that’s beside the point)
Which feels all the weirder by the fact that she does end up caring enough to hide out in the line of fire to see how things will play out.
Originally, after watching episodes three and four back to back, I came to a conclusion that maybe Elania wasn’t meant to be liked. Like she was just a narrator and an observer of events and the grimdark fairy tales she encounters are the stories we’re meant to pay attention to. But then episodes five and six end up directly focusing on her and her relations to her former teacher and then her reconnection to her old friend from episode two.
“Nah, I don’t fancy helping you risk you life against this terrible monster that devastated an entire city”.
The later of which she seems less than thrilled to see.
And that’s the thing, Elania doesn’t really seem like a nice person. She certainly thinks she’s one, as seen during the events taking place within the city where nobody can lie; testing the rules out by blurting out that she is “incredibly beautiful” and “she is pure-hearted”. Although, I chose to interpret these as her view of herself rather than actual fact. That’s the thing about “truth” it’s all in your own perceptions.
I might not especially like Elaina as a character, but at the same time I feel like her role in the series isn’t to be liked. It’s to be the narrator and observer. But to disagree with Scott’s point, I’m kind of glad she isn’t there giving us the moral of the story at the end of the episode. If we got the episode ending with Elaina telling us who was right and who was wrong, it’s almost as if she’s imposing her moral will upon the story, twisting it to become her story in some respect. At least the story is giving us the chance to come to our won concussions. As pointed as they may end up being.
It really makes me wonder what the author’s original intent with this series was. Whether it was supposed to be a light, but sometimes dark, slice of life travel show. Or if they really were trying to tell a story about how isolationism combined with skill and talent can negatively affect you on an interpersonal level. I know that living alone, combined with the lockdown has caused me to forget how to talk to people sometimes.
Moments later: “Oh boy, this bed sure is comfy. I sure don’t have any empathy or concern for the destructive hellscape going on just outside the window.”
I just lack the ego of Elanina for it to develop into this weird sense of detached superiority though. While the recent two episodes threw some water on the fire that was my original take on Elaina as this apathetic documentarian, the events of those episodes really do show that she seems uncomfortable with displays of emotion. Wanting to leave the mage school before Fran can see her off, and her constant dismissal of Saya, along with her girl crush.
The more I’ve watched Wandering Witch and thought about this, the more I’ve invested myself in this character arc I’ve perceived Elaina to be on. To be frank, she’s not an especially likeable lead all things considered. But I feel like there’s enough subtext in there that her growth as a person and realising she needs to participate in the world rather than just skim along the surface is the ending point of this story.
But if that’s not where we’re going, I’m going to feel especially red-faced at having read to deeply into this, and unsatisfied by it not paying off what I feel like is the underlying message. Or we could just go in the total opposite direction and Elaina ends up becoming a Doctor Manhattan like figure by the end. Which wouldn’t actually be the worst outcome either.
I guess while I don’t essentially like Elaina as a person. But I feel like she’s different enough from the norm to be interesting and I value “interesting” much more than I value liking characters in my media. But that’s just me. Thanks Scott for the idea anyway. I’m not sure if I ended up totally missing the original point you were trying to make about her, but I felt like I needed to get this one off my chest.
What we usually find is that in these kinds of stories is that the hero is usually correct in their meddling. Anything they end up doing is invariably the correct course of action by the standards of the show itself. What these kinds of stories rarely touch upon is the fact that one man’s revolutionary is another man’s terrorist, that one person’s savour is another person’s sower of chaos.
The lyrics of goth band surf curse often explore introspective themes, such as love, heartbreak, and the human condition. They may delve into the darker aspects of life, such as loneliness or existential angst. The music itself is characterized by its juxtaposition of haunting and melancholic melodies with energetic and catchy surf rock rhythms. The goth band surf curse has gained a cult following for their distinctive sound and powerful live performances. Their music appeals to fans of both gothic and surf rock genres, as well as those who appreciate unique and experimental music. In conclusion, goth band surf curse is a fascinating fusion of gothic music and surf rock. Their distinctive sound blends dark and brooding instrumentals with upbeat and twangy melodies, creating a unique musical experience. If you're a fan of either genre or simply enjoy exploring innovative and experimental music, goth band surf curse is definitely worth checking out..
Reviews for "Unleashing the Dark Side: How Goth Bands Are Revolutionizing the Surf Music Scene"
- Sarah - 2/5 - I had high hopes for "Goth babd surf vurse" but I was left disappointed. The music felt disjointed and didn't flow well together, making it hard to enjoy. The lyrics were also hard to understand and didn't seem to have any depth or meaning behind them. Overall, it felt like the band was trying too hard to be edgy and unique, but it just came across as forced and pretentious.
- James - 1/5 - I couldn't stand "Goth babd surf vurse". The vocals were grating and completely out of tune. It was a painful listening experience. The production quality was also terrible, with instruments overpowering each other, making it sound like a jumbled mess. It's a shame because I thought I would enjoy their unique blend of genres, but it was just unlistenable.
- Rebecca - 3/5 - "Goth babd surf vurse" is not my cup of tea. The heavy use of distorted guitar and lack of melodic hooks made it hard for me to fully appreciate their music. While some may find their raw and aggressive sound appealing, it just didn't resonate with me. I do appreciate their attempts to push the boundaries of music, but it's just not something I would choose to listen to again. Overall, it's an acquired taste that I haven't acquired yet.
- Matthew - 2/5 - I can see why some people may be into "Goth babd surf vurse," but it's just not for me. The lyrics felt shallow and repetitive, lacking any real substance. The instrumentation was also too loud and overpowering, making it hard to really focus on the music. I couldn't find any standout tracks that resonated with me, and it all started to blend together after a while. Overall, I found the album to be a forgettable listening experience.